June 19 - BIMCO's Documentary Committee has adopted a new specialised heavy-lift charter party code named HEAVYLIFTVOY.
The HEAVYYLIFTVOY voyage charter party is a niche contract derived from BIMCO's CONLINEBOOKING Note.
It is designed to provide the growing mid-sized heavy-lift sector with a purpose-made standard form to replace the current widespread use of amended booking notes.
The Chairman of the HEAVYLIFTVOY Sub-committee, Arie Peterse, presented the new contract to the Documentary Committee.
The committee was told that the key difference between HEAVYLIFTVOY and BIMCO's other well-used heavy-lift form, HEAVYCON 2007, is that the new form operates on the basis of conventional cargo liability regimes and not knock-for-knock.
While HEAVYCON is designed for float on/float off cargo operations on semi-submersible vessels, the new HEAVYLIFTVOY is for lift on/lift off vessels loading parcel cargoes on and under deck.
The form offers a variety of loading and discharging options, providing for free-in or liner in-hook terms for loading and free-out or liner out-hook terms for discharging. Among the many comprehensive clauses, provision is made for the suitability for transportation and proper presentation of the cargo, including lifting and securing devices and also for the timely submission of drawings.
The new contract contains the full suite of BIMCO standard clauses covering issues such as dispute resolution, war risks, ISPS and trading in ice.
BIMCO has worked with a number of key operators in this trade to develop the form, including BigLift, Jumbo, SAL Shipping and Leibherr, with support from specialist brokers Larsen and Partners and the Standard P&I Club. The new contract will be published over the Summer along with a comprehensive set of explanatory notes. HEAVYLIFTVOY will be available as an electronic document on idea.
